Kenmare is a busy market town which has won a few "Tidy Town" awards. It is home to a large branch of the amazing Quills (smaller branches in Glengarriff and Sneem). Suppliers extraordinaire of Irish knitwear and a wide assortment of outer garments.
It has also got a lot of small shops offering Celtic knick-knacks and souvenirs to the tourist.
There are some excellent restaurants and friendly pubs.
There is a good music shop for Irish music and instruments and also a good bookstore.